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CC&E Student's Internship Experience Featured in 'Fathom' Documentary on Apple TV+
Maggie Knight, an Ogden senior and LASAL Scholar studying coastal environmental science in the College of the Coast & Environment and marine biology the College of Science is a part of a new feature documentary on Apple TV+. Fathom follows Dr. Michelle Fournet and Dr. Ellen Garland as they seek to decipher the complex communication of humpback whales and uncover a culture in the oceans older than humankind. The documentary presents a deeply intimate portrait of science in action.
Scholarship, Stewardship, and the Sea
Charles “Mike” Callais (Business, ‘84) is the product of the great men who came before him. The Callais Scholarship for the Advancement of Louisiana’s Coastal and Marine Industries combines his love of education, desire to serve his community, and respect for the sea—values that were instilled in him by his father and his grandfather. The scholarship will perpetuate his goal to assist his home state in flourishing academically, environmentally, and economically.
Alumni Spotlight: Katie Bowes, Environmental Specialist, Martin County Board of County Commissioners
LSU's College of the Coast & Environment, or CC&E, serves as a critical source for employers throughout Louisiana and the world to recruit knowledgeable and passionate scientists and employees that are in high demand. Katie Bowes (LSU '18) developed an exceptional understanding of the connectivity of wetland and marine science as a result of multiple hands on opportunities she took advantage of while earning her degree from CC&E.
LSU College of the Coast & Environment Celebrates World Oceans Day
The United Nations has designated June 8, 2021, as World Oceans Day, a time to celebrate our oceans and raise awareness of the current challenges they face. While the world celebrates the oceans on this special day, the LSU College of the Coast & Environment, or CC&E, works every day to provide exceptional insights into our oceans that transform research and education on a global stage.
The LSU College of the Coast & Environment Unveils New Leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
This year the LSU College of the Coast & Environment has unveiled a new award, the Leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. This award recognizes faculty or staff member or a graduate student who provides leadership and outstanding contributions in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion at the College of the Coast & Environment. Linda Hooper-Bùi, a professor in the LSU Department of Environmental Sciences, was the inaugural recipient.
LSU College of the Coast & Environment Joins Global Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative
For several years, Mark Benfield, a professor in the LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, within the College of the Coast & Environment, has studied this explosion in plastics in our waterways and its impact on the environment. Most recently, he has partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme, National Geographic Society, the University of Georgia--or UGA--and Baton Rouge's Office of the Mayor-President and others as part of MRCTI's mission to combat plastic pollution along one of the world's most vital waterways.
LSU Coast & Environment Professor Receives Lifetime Recognition
LSU Professor Nancy Rabalais LSU Professor Nancy Rabalais is the 2021 recipient of the Wes Tunnell Lifetime Recognition for Gulf Science and Conservation by the Gulf of Mexico University Research Collaborative, or GOMURC, and the second member of the College of the Coast & Environment to receive it. Dean Christopher D'Elia was the inaugural recipient who received it in 2019 at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference. Notably, last year's recipient, Chuck Wilson, worked at LSU for many years and formerly served as the chair of the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences. These three coastal scientists highlight LSU's many contributions to the greater health and prosperity of the Gulf of Mexico.
LSU CC&E Student's Coral Research Earns Prestigious NSF Fellowship
Benjamin Farmer, a doctoral student in the LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, has received a 2021 Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation, or NSF, for his research studying stony coral tissue loss disease, a mysterious and fatal coral disease, in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
CC&E Congratulates the Spring Class of 2021!
This semester, the College of the Coast & Environment would like to recognize the persistence, hard work, and commitment of our latest group of graduates.
Coastal Environmental Science Students Awarded at LSU Discover Day
Donated by the College of the Coast & Environment, these awards recognize students with outstanding undergraduate research presented at LSU Discover Day 2021. This year's winners are: • First Place: Jacob Cheng, Can Newly Created Engineered Marshes Help Improve Water Quality in Barataria Bay? • Second Place: Danielle Soileau, The Effect of Pulsed and Chronic Salinity on the Plant Community Dynamics of an Intermediate Marsh • Third Place: Allison Benelli, Decomposition Rates of Spartina alterniflora (Smooth Cordgrass) in Natural and Created Marshes in Coastal Louisiana
The College of the Coast & Environment Congratulates the 2021 Lipsey Scholarships and Awards Recipients
Congratulations to 2021 Lipsey scholarships and awards recipients Danielle Soileau, Gabrielle Carpenter, Megan Arias, and Matt Hiatt. Soileau and Carpenter are graduate students in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, Arias is a graduate student in the Department of Environmental Sciences, and Hiatt is an assistant professor in Oceanography & Coastal Sciences. Soileau has been awarded the Joseph Lipsey Senior Memorial Scholarship; Carpenter and Arias have been awarded the Richard A. & Joseph Lipsey, Jr. Graduate Student Scholarship Incentive Award; and Hiatt has been awarded the Joseph Lipsey, Jr. & Richard A. Lipsey Excellence in Teaching Award.
CES Student Eva Coman Earns Andrew L. "Drew" Wilbert Memorial Scholarship
This year's recipient of the Andrew L. "Drew" Wilbert Memorial Scholarship is Eva Coman, one of 13 undergraduates from the College of the Coast & Environment who have earned this prestigious scholarship throughout the years. This scholarship recognizes a sophomore, junior, or senior in the Coastal Environmental Science program with greater than a 3.25 GPA.
Announcing the 2021 Recipients of the William H. Patrick, Jr., Scholarship for Wetlands Expertise
The College of the Coast & Environment would like to congratulate Jay Merrill and Benjamin Farmer, the 2021 recipients of the William H. Patrick, Jr., Scholarship for Wetlands Expertise. This award recognizes students in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences who are studying wetlands and have greater than a 3.5 GPA.
College of the Coast & Environment Graduate Student Symposium Winners Announced
Each semester, the LSU College of the Coast & Environment hosts a graduate student symposium in which students present their research conducted toward the fulfillment of a degree within the college and compete for prizes. This spring, fourteen graduate students participated and first, second, and third place winners were announced. • First Place: Emily Shallow • Second Place: Nazla Bushra • Third Place: Zoë Shribman
Four Coastal and Environment Students Earn Candace Chun Memorial Scholarship
Congratulations to the 2021 recipients of the Candace Chun Memorial Scholarship: graduate student in the Department of Environmental Sciences Ruth Daniel and undergraduate Coastal Environmental Science students Madeline Fryer, Olivia Hurley, and Aine O'Nuanain.
Congratulations to Simone Sale, Tiger Twelve Recipient
Undergraduate Coastal Environmental Sciences senior Simone Sale (Little Rock, Ark.) has been named a member of the Tiger Twelve Senior Recognition Class of 2021. This prestigious honor is awarded to just 12 students each spring by the Office of the Dean of Students for their positive contributions to LSU and the greater community. She is the second CC&E student to be named one of the Tiger Twelve, the first being Brandon Champagne who earned a coveted spot in 2018.
LSU Breaks Record on Number of Students Awarded Prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
A record high of 11 LSU students have been selected for the highly competitive National Science Foundation, or NSF, Graduate Research Fellowship this year, including Benjamin Farmer, a doctoral student in the LSU College of the Coast & Environment. He is modeling the spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in the U.S. Virgin Islands and researching the connectivity of important fish species in the Mesoamerican Reef region.
Nancy Rabalais Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
LSU College of the Coast & Environment Professor Nancy Rabalais is among the 120 newly elected National Academy of Sciences members recognized for her distinguished achievements in original research. She is also among the 59 women who have been elected, the most women elected in a single year to the National Academy of Sciences.
LSU College of the Coast & Environment Joins Global Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative
Mark Benfield, a professor in the LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, within the College of the Coast & Environment, is partnering with the United Nations Environment Programme, National Geographic Society, the University of Georgia (UGA), and Baton Rouge's Office of the Mayor-President and others as part of the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative's, or MRCTI's, mission to combat plastic pollution along one of the world's most vital waterways.
LSU Coast & Environment Graduate Student Awarded Eleanor Earle Memorial Scholarship
On April 24, Kelli Moran, a PhD student in the LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, or DOCS, was one of two graduate students awarded the Eleanor Earle Memorial American Association of University Women, or AAUW, Scholarship from the Baton Rouge Chapter. AAUW is a national nonprofit organization that promotes equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.
CC&E's Spring Academic Programs Update
One of our greatest joys is welcoming new students to our college. Our undergraduate program continues to be one of the fastest-growing majors at LSU. With the launch of our new online master’s program in environmental sciences, this year we have welcomed 51 new online graduate students to our CC&E family. The Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences has also started developing an online undergraduate certificate program to continue the expansion and enrichment of our education programs. In Fall 2021, we will welcome the first recipient of the Callais Scholarship for the Advancement of Louisiana Coastal and Marine Industries. The recipient of this, as well as our other scholarship recipients, will be revealed on Friday, April 16.
CC&E's Spring Research Programs Update
I want to congratulate our faculty for their outstanding efforts in forging ahead on current research projects as well as ramping up efforts to bring in new research dollars to the college during these challenging times. These funds are vital for providing educational and research opportunities for our undergraduates and graduate students and clearly highlighting the college as a research leader in Louisiana, across the Gulf, and around the world.
LSU CC&E Professor Awarded at 13th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, Students Present Research
On March 22-25, the LSU Wetland and Aquatic Biogeochemical Laboratory, or WABL, housed within the LSU College of the Coast & Environment, or CC&E, hosted and sponsored the 13th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands. This virtual scientific symposium was designed to bring together stakeholders who are actively engaged in applying principles of biogeochemistry to solving environmental and social problems. John R. White, associate dean of research for CC&E and director of WABL, served as this year's conference chair.
CC&E Associate Dean One of Three Provost's Fellows Appointed for Academic Affairs
Sibel Bargu Ates, associate dean in the LSU College of the Coast & Environment, or CC&E, has been appointed one of three Provost's Fellows for Academic Affairs alongside Jacqueline Bach in the College of Human Sciences & Education and Jason Hicks in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences.
A Dire Future for Coastal Wetlands
A new study, "Coastal Wetland Resilience, Accelerated Sea-Level Rise, and the Importance of Timescale," addresses conflicting results of recent studies as to whether coastal wetlands can keep up with current and future sea-level rise. The research suggests that wetland extent will shrink considerably under high rates of sea-level rise. The report is co-authored by John Day of the LSU College of the Coast & Environment, Torbjörn Törnqvist of Tulane University, Donald R. Cahoon of US Geological Survey, and James Morris of the University of South Carolina.